The Master
by Illwynd
Summary: Dark AU, written for the Six Days of Spooky: Some time after the four hobbits visited the house of Bombadil, Tom notices something strange afoot...


Here's my last little ficlet for the Six Days of Spooky. Happy Halloween, everyone!

**The Master**  
By illwynd  
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing.  
Rating: PG for dark themes  
Characters: Tom Bombadil, OMHC  
Warnings: AU, dark

Tom had been fond of hobbits ever since they had appeared, long ago, near his little river-valley, and most particularly of any that wandered into his lands, and stopped to talk or to hear a tale. They were kindly, and close to the earth. His most recent visitors had been strange ones, though. The trinket they carried… He had not seen it before, but knew instantly that it was the same weapon that had caused all the troubles so many years ago. He had wished them good fortune when they left with the thing, and then he had put it out of his mind and gone about his business, thinking only rarely of his recent guests as winter passed. And strangely, he had not had any other visitors since; no Elves stopped as they passed by on their way west, none of his hobbit-friends came through the woods. None but beasts and trees and wind and stars looked upon the house of Bombadil.

Spring had come, and summer after, and now it was again Goldberry's washing day, and she had left the house in the earliest sprinklings of morning rain. But by evening she had not returned. The fire at the hearth awaited her, as did Tom. When darkness fell, he began to worry. Goldberry knew these lands as well as he, and could not have gotten lost. Where had she gone? When the moon rose, he wandered out to look for her…

Something was wrong. The air, still wet with rain, felt odd. The ground whispered warnings. The trees shivered in fear. He tried to sing softly to himself, but his voice caught in his throat. He searched, walking familiar paths… and suddenly stopped short. The borders of his lands had shrunk and closed in, and there was darkness outside.

Something rustled the leaves of a shrub just across the invisible borders of his realm, and a moment later a terrified hobbit appeared, at a run, and fell face-first in front of Tom. The poor fellow was thin and wan, and had cuts on his face and arms from running helter-skelter through bushes and brambles. His eyes were bright as those of hunted rabbits as he looked up to see Tom, who simply stood and stared in surprise.

"He is here! He is here! They are chasing me!" the little figure squeaked breathlessly. Tom shook off his stupor, and held out a hand to help the Hobbit to his feet.

"Whoever chases you, you are safe now," Tom said, speaking with more confidence than he actually felt. He heard Goldberry speak in his memory… _'for Tom, he is the Master'_ her voice said liltingly, as if from far away. He had not known foreboding and fear like this before, and it was a strange feeling. He led the hobbit back along the path towards his home, unsure of what was to come.

"It is all burned! It is all gone!" the little fellow moaned over and over.

"Slow down, there! Tell me your tale when we are safe inside! A warm house awaits us," Tom said. As they walked, he could feel it. His land was being closed in, wrapped in darkness. Horrid clamor sounded just out of hearing, of rending and shattering and cruel voices carried on the wind.

The yellow light streaming out through the windows seemed to be the last pleasant light in Arda. The stars were drowned in thick dark clouds above, and the only other light, a reddish glow on the horizon all around, was eerie and fearsome. At last the door closed behind them, and Tom stopped for only a moment to look out, though he wasn't sure what he looked for.

The hobbit fell wearily onto a low seat, shoulders hunched over. Tom sat near and waited.

"Things have been so bad recently… there was little enough food this year, and too many were down in the Lockholes to do any work, and Sharkey's men took what little was left and did no work themselves… but then… then…" The fellow still shook with fear, and he seemed to shrink at the memories. "Then… Sharkey and his Men were gone. The new Boss… they burned the Shire… they were chasing me… everyone else was dead…"

The dark clouds broke in storm, light burst through the windows, and thunder crashed outside. Tom started. How had he not known of these happenings? He stood and looked down at the huddled figure in his parlor. "Stay here. Tom must go and see what can be done."

He pulled the door open, stepped out, and saw darkness before him. Never before had Tom fought, for he had never had a need, but as the darkness wrapped around his house, he fought it, silently, unmoving. He stood his ground, for he was the Master.

He saw the glint of gold on the hand that reached for him…

It had no power over him, and had once glittered on his own hand without effect. But its power encroached, crept closer.

Behind him, foul creatures set his house ablaze. He heard the creaking of the timbers, the cries of the last hobbit as he perished within. He could do nothing. It was all he could do to stand unmoving, hold the one place where his feet were planted.

The Dark One tossed down a brooch of blue stones to the ground, and trod it into the mud.

Goldberry was gone.

In a fury he had never before known, he hurled himself at the darkness… Last as he was First…

And darkness fell over all.


End file.
